4 Tax Moves to Make by the End of the Year

Making pre-tax contributions to your retirement can be a great way to save on your taxes. When you make pre-tax contributions, that money is not considered part of your income, so it lowers your overall income, which in turn lowers your tax burden. The smartest way to do this is to contribute to your company’s 401k plan, although keep in mind that there is a $17,500 cap to your contributions. You can also contribute to a traditional IRA (not a Roth IRA, which requires post-tax contributions) to lower your income. You can set up a traditional IRA through a participating bank or through a trading website like TD Ameritrade.

Charitable donations are a great way to reduce your overall tax burden. You can deduct up to 50 percent of your Adjusted Gross Income when it comes to charitable donations. Just make sure that you are getting the proper documentation, otherwise you won’t be able to deduct. Money donations need a receipt or a cancelled check to validate the donation, so dropping cash in a charity basket doesn’t count. If you contribute more than $250, you need a written record from the charity.

Many people forget about Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and it can end up costing them hundred or thousands each year. An FSA is a pre-tax account that you can contribute to for medical expenses. Since you contribute up to $2,500 a year to the FSA, it can be a place where money goes to get lost. Make sure you know how much you are contributing to the account and how much you have left over before the year ends. Once the year ends, you lose that money if you don’t use it, unless your company has a carry-over plan.

If you need help figuring out your taxes before the year ends, check out tax sites like TaxACT.